Question: Which is more important, consciousness or surrender?

Sri Chinmoy: If you do not have consciousness, how will you surrender? Consciousness is like life. If you do not have life-energy, then how are you going to regulate that life? If there is no life inside you, then of course you will be dead. If there is life, only then can you have your existence either to enjoy pleasure and so forth, or to surrender devotedly to the Supreme. So the most important thing is to have consciousness. Then it is up to you how to deal with your consciousness, whether to surrender your life or hold it for yourself.

The goal is not just to have consciousness, but to have dedicated surrender. First things must come first. Aspiring consciousness must come first; only then can surrender come.